Third-rail-conduit system.



P. M. REYNOLDS. THIRD RAIL GONDUIT SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED Nov. so,190s,

927,428.` I Ptentea July 6,1909.4

54mm/whoa:

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PIIILIP MARION REYNOLDS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

THIRD-RAIL-CONDUIT SYSTEM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP MARION REY- NOLDs, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco andState of California, have invented a new and useful Third-Rail-ConduitSystem, of which the following is a epeciiication in such lull and clearterms as will enable those skilled in the art to construct and use thesame.

The objects ol this invention are to produce a third rail and a conduitsystem for the distribution of electrical power for street railroadsystems which will be applicable to r any place Where a rail of theordinary height is used Without the construction oi the eX- pensive formof conduits, the rail and conduit in this instance being laid directlyon the ties which support the car rails, and to provide a rail whichwill be absolutely tree 'from danger to pedestrians.

Another object of my invention. is to produce a conduit in Which anycurrent Which escapes from the third-rail to the conduit housing orslot-cover by leakage or otherwise, will be immediately short-circuitedby reason of the fact that the housing is thoroughly grounded orconnected. to the opposite pole of the dynamo.

In the drawing which accom )anies and forms a part of this application,igure l is an end view of a third rail conduit embodying my invention;and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal view thereof, partly in section.

The numeral l is applied to the base portion ot' the conduit housing,and is provided with a groove or recess in the top for the reception ofthe third-rail conductor. Slotrails or cover-portions S, 3, having theusual depending lips 4, 4, are secured to the base by means of bolts 2.The cover-portions conform interiorly with the recess in the base andcombine therewith to form the conduit for the conductor which I haveillustrated as substantially circular in cross-section With a contactportion 8, for the engagement oi the plow's depending from the cars. Itwill be understood, however, that other forms of Specication of LettersPatent.

Application led November 30, 1908.

conductors may be employed. The conduc- Patented July 6, 1909.

Serial N0. 465,179.

tor is insulated from the conduit housing by means of suitahleinsulating1 material 6.

It will be noted that this third-rail construction is of no greaterheight than the ordinary car rails used in city railways, and that itmay be secured on top ol the ties 10, of' the trackway, thus obviatingthe expensive form of conduit in which a heavy iron yoke is employed tocarry the electrical conductors.

For the purpose of preventing the slotrails or cover-portions frombecoming electrically charged by leakage or accident from the conductor7, I thoroughly bond the housing to copper or other good conductors 5,5, which may be secured between the cover and base portions of theconduit housing as shown, and extend longitudinally throughout the thirdrail construction. By means of this construction the conduit housing maybe directly and thoroughly connected to the generator and'any currentwhich. may escape from the conductor 7, Will be absolutelyshort-circuited or grounded. A charged slot-rail is thus animpossibility and my construction is rendered absolutely free fromdanger to pedestrians.

It will be evident to electrical engineers and others skilled in theart, that the form of the housing may be changed and othei1` PHILIPMARION REYNOLDS.

Witnesses O. I). GRIFFIN, W. T. I'Inss.

